The invention relates to a connecting element comprising a base plate having contact teeth formed from the base plate by through cuts converging substantially on a common area, which contact teeth can be folded out of the plane of the base plate for connecting. Such a connecting element is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,368 issued Jun. 7, 1988 to Bob Mouissie and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.
In practice, connecting elements are known in which contact teeth are formed by making crosswise through cuts in a metal base plate and folding the triangular contact teeth thus formed. During folding it is possible that the base plate tears in the corners between the contact teeth, that is to say at the ends of the through cuts, which seriously weakens the base plate. In order to avoid this, according to the the application, a cross-shaped cutout is made in the base plate in a manner such that rectangular cutouts result in the corners between the contact teeth after folding. Although tearing of the base plate is prevented as a result of this, punching out a cross-shaped cutout has some disadvantages. Firstly, the length of the contact teeth is shortened by the removal of material. When such connecting elements are used for electrically contacting flexible conductors, in which case the contact teeth are bent over in a manner such that they bend back onto the flexible conductor, it is possible that the length of the contact teeth is deficient and that a good contact is consequently not obtained. Secondly, making a cross-shaped cutout in the base plate is found to result in relatively blunt contact teeth, whereas, for example to through cut through the insulation of a flexible conductor, it is desirable that the contact teeth have sharp points.